


Nyssa Numerosity

by human_nature (AllyHR)



Series: Genprompt Bingo [4]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: (surprise cameo), Gen, Gen Prompt Bingo, Team Nerd, cloning (sorta)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:54:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22075786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllyHR/pseuds/human_nature
Summary: Something's creating multiple Nyssas in the TARDIS.
Series: Genprompt Bingo [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/918771
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	Nyssa Numerosity

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Gen Prompt Bingo. Box: Mirror mirror (dopplegangers, clones, evil doubles)
> 
> Enjoy!

It was late at night aboard the TARDIS. Nyssa sat in bed pouring over the pages of a book she had found in the library. She had only just began the chapter on xenobiology when the now familiar sensation of the TARDIS materializing pulled her from her reading. Hurriedly slipping out of her pajamas and into her traditional burgundy and velvet outfit; mentally making a note to herself to one day resume trying to reprogram the replicator. Making her way towards the console room, something caught the Trakenite’s eye. There, on the other side of the corridor, stood what looked like… a copy of herself! Nyssa slowly approached the copy. It was quite unbelievable. Same hair, same clothes, same eye color. If one didn’t look close enough to notice the tiny, almost vein-like marks on its skin; it was like looking in a mirror. As if sensing her presence, the copy-Nyssa fixed its eyes on her and opened its mouth.   
“Host” it simply said in a raspy tone. “Beginning,” 

“Beginning what?” asked the Trakenite. “And what are you?” 

Without another word, the copy-Nyssa raised a hand. A shoot began to emerge from its arm and, to Nyssa’s astonishment, two more copies.  
At this, she hurried towards the console room to find the Doctor pressing several buttons semi-consciously.  
“Good morning, Nyssa” he greeted without looking up. “Did you sleep—good grief.” 

‘Doctor what’s...oh.” the Trakenite scanned the console room. The three copy-Nyssas had not only followed her, but had now doubled . Three of them were circling the scanner while another two stared at one of the roundels on the wall, transfixed by it. 

“Host!” the copies rasped in unison; raising their hands to point at Nyssa. Once again, the number grew as with each shoot, more and more copies seemed to fill the room. All of them like the initial copy: nearly identical to Nyssa except for their veins. 

“Oh dear” the Doctor said, placing his hands into his pockets before turning to his companion. “Nyssa, I normally don’t say this without a clear reason but… run!”   
At that, the travellers ran, the ever-expanding number of copy-Nyssas slowly inching behind them. 

“But Doctor!” called Nyssa as they both raced down a corridor before nearly colliding at the entrance to the library “Where did they all come from?” 

“Not much time!” the Time Lord huffed. ‘But I believe I’ve seen this before.” 

The time travellers sat down on an overstuffed couch in the library. On the floor, a large mountain of books looked like it could erupt at any moment while on a nearby table, a beautiful plant sat serenely. It was lush and green; its pastel petals, akin to slightly smaller hibiscus flowers, seemed to sway like reeds in the wind and tiny black and white seeds from them fell each second, landing on the library floor. 

“Nyssa,” the Doctor began, indicating the nearby plant. “Do you remember when we visited that marketplace on Celes-Epsilon?” 

“Of course” answered the Trakenite, smiling at the memory. “When Adric discovered those strangely delicious roots. And Tegan and I bought—” Something clicked. “That plant. Tegan thought it would be lovely in here. “

The Time Lord nodded. “So did Jo. The Celes Psychic Ambirosa. When one comes in contact with its seeds, it forms a psychic bond: a host. And it reproduces its host in order to spread more of itself.”

At that moment, a sudden crash came from one of the bookshelves as two more copy-Nyssas were rifling through their contents.  
“So that plant created all these...clones of me. “ Nyssa said, Even after all she’d seen so far, this was still hard to believe.

“The only way to stop it is to replant it on its home world.” explained the Doctor, carefully picking up the plant.

“The plant? Or the clones?” 

“Surprisingly, both.” 

Rounding up all the copy-Nyssas was a trying task for the time travellers. However, within a few hours, the TARDIS crew stepped out onto the soft green terrain of Celes-Epsilon.  
“It seems different this time” noted Nyssa. “There’s no marketplace.” 

“We’re in another sector of the planet, Nyssa.” said the Doctor, both of them carrying the plant to a small patch of blue-green grass as the copies trailed expectantly behind. The plant seemed to almost know where it was, as when its roots hit ground, the copies seemed to wither away one by one. 

“Host” one final copy rasped, blinking at Nyssa. “End.” 

Watching the final copy-Nyssa wither away, the real Nyssa asked. “What happens to all of them now?”

“Compost” the Time Lord replied. “Like so much rotten rubbish. Now, I think it’s best we head back to the TARDIS.”  
…  
Peri Brown hadn’t been on the TARDIS for too long, but she was still amazed at its sheer magnitude. Putting away the botany guide she’d been skimming, Peri noticed something on the library floor. It was an odd black and white seed. Curious, she tucked it into the pocket of her shorts. She’d ask the Doctor about it later.


End file.
